Pioneers of the New Normal

[marmar]

from YES! Magazine:




Pioneers of the New Normal
We're facing a very different world than the one we knew. Here's what people are doing to prepare

by Sarah van Gelder
posted Sep 14, 2010


Americans are facing a troubling reality. The economic recovery we were promised has not materialized. There’s growing talk about a “new normal”—a new way of life to take us through a long period of failed recoveries.

There are, indeed, good reasons to believe we won’t go back to the old ways. But this new normal doesn’t have to be a time of chaos and decline. Instead, many Americans are building stronger families and communities, rejecting the waste and greed that made our economy implode, and turning instead to self-reliance and the sort of neighborliness that embraces diversities of all sorts.

Why not go back to the consumer ideal that was the foundation of the American Dream? Many who live paycheck to paycheck have lost jobs, homes, hopes for an education, retirement security, and belief in a more prosperous future. CEO pay is on the uptick, as are corporate profits. But the anti-tax, anti-regulation fever that enriched some undermined the real wealth of our country—our education system, infrastructure, communities, and natural resources. And much of our economy has been outsourced, making it difficult for stimulus spending to get growth going again.

But it’s not only a stalled economy that is threatening our future. Leading scientists now say that climate disruption is behind the massive flooding in Pakistan and the record-breaking fires in Russia. Shortages of food, water, and energy—with attendant price spikes—along with displacement and migration, are likely, not just abroad, but here in the United States. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/sarah-van-gelder/pioneers-of-the-new-normal

[eilen]

1. Check MeetUp in your community

I did and we have a Permaculture group-- in fact we have a meetup Oct 3 to potluck and talk about what to do with our gardens this Fall. I hope I'm back from DC in time to go.